* I can’t be forced out, Buhari approved my actions – Oshiomhole
By Steve Oko
More facts have emerged on why operatives of the Department for State Services, DSS arrested the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole was reportedly arrested on Sunday and grilled for about nine hours at the Abuja office of DSS.
But the forces behind the arrest had wanted to keep it secret but it leaked to the public on Wednesday.
Inquiries by Wawa News Global revealed that the former Edo Governor’s ordeal may not be unconnected with the supremacy battle going on in APC.
Oshiomhole had last week raised alarm that some powerful forces within the party were bent on forcing him out of office.
According to our investigations, some aggrieved Governors who felt shortchanged in the just -concluded party primaries are yet to forgive Oshiomhole over his alleged role in their fate.
Recall the a South East APC Governor and his South West counterpart have engaged Oshiomhole in war of words in the recent times.
A source said Oshiomhole was accused by some APC Governors of receiving bribes during the party’s primaries.
The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari had also recently lashed out at Oshiomhole over anomalies that marred the party’s primaries.
Aisha whose brother lost his bid for the party ‘s governorship ticket cried foul over the way and manner her brother and others like him were treated.
The sources added that in the course of his interrogation at the DSS headquarters, Oshiomhole was plainly asked to resign if he wanted peace.
“But Oshiomhole resisted the pressure to resign, saying he would only do so if he loses the confidence of President Muhammadu Buhari”, the source added.
According to the source, Oshiomhole boldly told them that no amount of pressure or intimidation would make him throw in the towel.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari gave his nod to all his actions, insisting that party supremacy must be restored in APC.
“Adams Oshiomhole was arrested by the DSS, they didn’t show him any petition. It was alleged by some governors that he collected bribe during the primaries,” a source said.
“He was told to resign and he told DSS operatives that he will resign if he loses the confidence of the president. He said everything the party did, he (Buhari) was in the know,” the source said.
The source said the arrest was not meant to be made public to avoid its far -reaching implications on the fortunes of the ruling party as the general elections fast approach.
Meanwhile a Presidential source has said that President Buhari was not happy over the entire scenario.
The source said Buhari was embittered over the action of the Governors which he said could injure the party, denying any knowledge of the arrest before it was made.
“On Monday night Oshiomhole met with the president and briefed him on what happened and the president was shocked. The president said he did not know about it and promised to look into it,” the source said.
The source said that APC might be playing into the hands of the opposition if it failed to put its house in order ahead of the polls.
Recall that in Zamfara State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that APC would not field any candidate for the governorship poll following the party’s inability to conduct primary election.
The party is also in disarray in Imo as Gov. Rochas Okorocha insists that his son in law, Uche Nwosu will fly the party’s flag against Senator Hope Uzodimma that emerged from the party’s primaries.
Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun governor, fell out with the party’s national working committee (NWC) after it chose Dapo Abiodun as the state’s gubernatorial candidate instead of Abiodun Akinlade who is Amosun choice.
Apart from some governors, some APC National Assembly members who could not secure a return ticket have also joined forces with the aggrieved governors in the ‘Oshiomhole must go crusade ‘ as they see him as the architect of their political misfortunes.
Political pundits predict that if the crisis is allowed to fester, it could cost APC electoral victory in 2019.
End
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